250 



POPULAR GARDEN BOTANY. 



AGERATUM. 



Gen. Char. (Syngenesia jEqualis.) Receptacle naked ; pappus 

 with five somewhat awned, chaffy scales ; involucre oblong, in a 

 double row ; corollas four or five-parted. 



The name means primitive and old-age, from the colour 

 being permanent. Of this genus there are hardy species 

 for the garden, and for the greenhouse the following : A. 

 cmlestinnm, which is now frequently called Ccelestina suffru- 

 ticosa, is a native of South America, its flowers are blue ; 

 there are also the species Mexicanum and variegatum : these 

 species are extremely pretty, flowering from June till late 

 in the autumn. They require a light soil. 



HUMEA. 



Gen. Char. {Syngenesia JEqualis.) Receptacle minute and glan- 

 dular ; pappus none ; involucre loosely imbricated, membranous ; 

 florets about three, tubular; anthers awned. 



Named after Sir A. Hume, a promoter of botanical study. 

 H. elegans is worth introducing into the greenhouse, as it 

 has large spreading panicles of brilliant red flowers, which 

 appear in June, and continue till October : it is a native of 

 New South Wales, and is raised from seed. 



